Dan Auerbach

If you havent heard Dan Auerbachs first solo record yet, Ill save you the suspense: Yes. In most respects, Keep It Hid is almost indistinguishable from Auerbachs two-man band The Black Keys. Theres no mistaking his soulful howl for anyone elses. Yet there are differences. Keep It Hid is what the Keys might sound like if Auerbach and Patrick Carney decided to add a full band behind them. (On this tour, Austin band Hacienda is backing Auerbach). And this disc is more adventurous than the Keys, incorporating a more diverse range of folk, country, and soul influences. It moves beyond Auerbachs penchant for O.G. blues and psychedelic stoner rock. But still, Keep It Hid succeeds for the same reason the Keys do: because Auerbach mines the best in old-timey American roots music, mushing together harmonic folk ballads, blues rhythms, Doors-like organ freakouts, and fuzzy guitar solos like so much sonic Play-Doh. Instead of the ugly mess that can result from trying to do too much on a single record, Auerbach creates a balanced sound thats informed by nostalgia without drowning in it. SARA BRICKNER